Fish-trap.



Patent'ed lan. I, |90! 'F. S` BRGGS.

FISH TRAP.

(Application med my 17, 19011) (H0 Model.)

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Eriks co. Pnoro-Llwo. wAsumm'oN n c iUNiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE'.-

FRANZ S. BRIGGS, OF NEOSHO, MISSOURI.

FISH=TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,926, dated January 1 1901.

Application filed May 17, 1900.

T0 @ZZ whmn it may con/cern:

Beit known that I, FRANZ S. BRIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Neosho, in the county of Newton and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Fish- Trap,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is especially designed for catching minnows in large numbers for bait, although it is capable of catching larger iish. It is furthermore designed to provide a foldable trap, so that it may be readily set up for use and also collapsed into a comparatively small space when not in use, so as to facilitate the storage and transportation thereof.

With these and other objects in View the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.r

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trap constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the trap partly folded.

Corresponding parts in the figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the bottom or base of the trap, which is formed by means of a rectangular piece of sheet metal, and hinged to one end thereof is a triangular end plate 2, also of sheet metal, and provided with a pluralityof perforations 3. The opposite longitudinal sides of the trap are formed by single panes or sheets of transparent glass lwhich are held in metallic frames which are hingedly connected to the respective longitudinal edges of the bottom plate. Each frame is formed by the opposite metal strips 5, each of which is bent from a single blankY of metal, so as to form a substantially U- shaped strip to embrace the adjacent longitudinal edge of the plate of glass. The respective ends of the longitudinal strips are Serial No. 17,048- (No model.)

connected by pairs of transverse strips 6, which are secured to the respective outer sides of the longitudinal strips, so that the U -shaped strips may have unobstructed open ends for the reception of the glass plates, whereby the latter may be conveniently replaced when broken or damaged. The lower edges of these frames are connected to the adjacent side edges of the bottom plate b v means of the hinges 7, so that said sides may be folded upwardly and inwardly against the adjacent edges of the triangular end plate to form a prisrn. The upper" edges of the longitudinal sides, which form the apex of the prism, are detachably connected by means of suitable spring-catches 8.

The opposite end of the trap is formed by three glass-covered frame-sections 8, 9, and 10,0f which the lower section 8a is connected to the forward end of the bottom plate by means of suitable hinges ll, so that the section Vmay fold inwardly into the interior of the trap. The other sections are hinged to the triangular bottom section and to the respective opposite edges thereof, so as to fold outwardly, and thereby provide a rentrant end for the trap. In the operative position of the trap the inner edges of the opposite end sections are in mutual engagement, and the outer edges thereof are provided with spring-catches 12 to embrace the adjacent outer end edges of the respective sides of the trap, so as to hold the rentrant end in the position shown in Figs. l and 2. It will be noted that the inner end or vertex of each triangular end section is cut off, as at 13, so that when the trap is set up a triangular opening is formed between the inner ends of the end sections to permit of the entrance of the minnows.

When in use, the trap is placed upon the bottom of a stream, so that the current thereof will carry the water inwardly through the entrance-opening between the end sections and outwardly through the opposite perforate end, so that there may bea constant change of water within the trap. Thus the minnows will pass inwardly through the entrance-opening, and as the latter is comparatively small they are not liable to pass out therethrough.

To prevent the end plate 2 from being forced outwardly by the current of Water,

IOO

each side is provided with a spring-catch 14: to engage over the adjacent edge of the end plate and hold it in position.

As indicated in Fig. 3, the trap may be folded into compact form by disengaging the spring-catches, so that the opposite ends may be folded inwardly upon the bottom of the trap, after which the opposite sides may be foldedinwardly across the ends,thereby forming a comparatively small and flat bundle.

What is claimed isl; A trap of the class described, comprising a bottom, opposite sides hingedly connected thereto to fold inwardly, and having their free edges in mutual engagement, an end also hingedly connected to one end of the bottom to fold inwardly, and in engagement with adjacent ends of the sides, an opposite rentrant end hingedly connected to the bottom, and comprising hingedly-connected sec-tions, said rentrant end having an entrance-opening, and also being in engagement with the adjacent ends of the sides, and detachable co-V necti'ons i' or the adjacent portions of the trap.

2. A trap of the class described, comprising a rectangular bottom plate, opposite longitudinal sides hingedly connected thereto to fold inwardly and form a prism, a triangular end hingedly connected to the bottom, an opposite rentrant end formed of triangular sections, which are hingedly connected and have their inner ends or verteXes cut 0E to form an Y entrance-opening, the bottom section being hingedly connected to the bottom of the trap,

and spring-catches to connect adjacent portions of the trap.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature inl the presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ S. BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

M. J. KELLY, H. G. GEYER. 

